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GRAMBLING, La. (AP) — Facing a more than $3 million deficit, Grambling University plans to increase faculty teaching loads while requiring furloughs, provide incentives for 15 faculty members to retire, and possibly even shutter the Grambling Laboratory Schools.
The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/1tZpoad ) Interim President Cynthia Warrick announced the drastic measures to help cash-strapped Grambling regain sound financial footing during a meeting with faculty and staff on campus Thursday.
She was quick to note that the deficit is just for this year, and she named several other schools facing similar financial issues this year.
"We're not in this by ourselves," she said in the meeting, which the university posted a video of on YouTube.
Warrick attributed much of the immediate problem to the university's drastic decrease in enrollment this fall.
The university's fall enrollment is 4,504 -- down 11 percent from last year. Based on the tuition rate, Warrick estimated the university is out $3.7 million.
But she also laid blame with the Louisiana Legislature and Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration.
"State budgets have been cut -- all these Republican governors have decided they can balance their budgets on higher education," she said.
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Information from: The Advocate, http://theadvocate.com
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